Missing Smile
by jesi ki kage
Summary: They saw the changes too late. They tried to help too late. In the end they were too late. Dark fic. One-shot. Broken Naruto, AU after Sauske's betrayal. Written in 2007.


**Disclaimer:**I do not own Naturo in any way shape or form

**By:** Jesi Ki Kage

**Missing**** Smile**: Lee-Blur, Neji-Clear-Eyes, Choji-Eater, Shikamaru-Cloud, Kiba-Wager, Tsuande-Drinker, Sakura-Bubble Gum, Hinata-Shy, Raven-Sasuke, Sun-Naruto: may he shine forever.

The day they lost one of the nine was the day their world changed. He had not only taken their trust when he left but to them it was like he had taken the center of gravity. Their world revolved around the youngest of them, and he revolved around the _traitor_. The day the Raven left he took something else with him, he took the sun, the light out of their worlds.

They first started noticing the little differences about a week after Raven left. Sun was training himself to the ground and the others feared he was becoming obsessed like Raven had been. It was the Blur that first noticed something was wrong with Sun. Sun's smile, which was usually equal to the Blurs own, was smaller. As time went by Blur watched as it showed up less and less, getting smaller each time. When the smile did not appear Blur simply whispered in Suns ear 'Smile'.

It was Eater who noticed next. He watched as Sun ate less, often leaving a few minutes into the group meals. Sun's plate would often be almost empty to start and seamed to not get any emptier. Eater knew that if this continued Sun would soon be in danger of hurting himself. But he didn't know what to do as Sun ate less and less. One day eater could take it no longer and when least people were looking set a plate in front of Sun and whispered 'Eat'.

Wager was always bragging about his enhanced sense. The truth was that they were even better then he said they were. That was how he noticed Sun's worsening condition. The smell was light, small to the point were at first he didn't notice it. But as time went on the smell slowly grew worse, and more distinct. Sun's smell had been happy, smelling of sweat, foxes, and his favorite food. Now it smelled like old blood and dirt, like he hadn't showered in ages. When Wager smelled Sun again it had increased and he could almost smell the pain Sun was putting himself through. Quietly at the groups training ground Wager caught Sun, grabbing his arm and softly saying 'Health'.

The first to notice Sun's new nightly habits was Clear-White. He had been on patrol when Clear-White first saw Sun. It was a third-way through night shift and he had seen Sun leave his house. Following he found he had copied his mentors habit of visiting the memorial stone. However Suns visit was different at he would stand there, whispering to him-self, for most of the night before going to the most dangerous forest and wondering it like it was nothing. It was as if Sun was daring, almost begging, the animals to attack him but none came. Night after night he would wonder there alone, the animals avoiding him, some even looking at him with pity. Upon seeing him one night he had softly called 'Sleep'.

Sun started to do more missions in the third month. Few though much of it, thinking he spent extra time outside looking for traces of Raven. Drinker however had noticed something odd about Sun's mission. She had been in the mission hall when Sun had come in after the three day break required each month to request the highest lever mission available. Upon receiving his mission Sun had turned and been startled to find Drinker standing right behind him. Drinker had then whispered to Sun, 'Live'.

Cloud always prided himself in being able to tell when something happened in the group. That's way he was slightly shocked when a month after Ravens departure he noticed that Sun was a lot quieter. That was something one usually noticed right away but it had taken Clouds observing of others to even notice that they were worried about Sun. Cloud had then started watching Sun and noticed that he had become as quiet as Clear-White's cousin Shy. Upon passing Sun one day Cloud had whispered to him 'Speak'.

Optional: As time finally approached six months after Raven left Bubble Gum noticed the changes. Previously thought to be the closet to Sun, the others no longer trusted Bubble Gum. It took visibly seeing Suns healing bloodline trying to stop the damage he was inflicting to himself for her to notice his pain. By this point it was too late for her to do much as the others had all noticed long before her.

Throughout this Shy had remained in the background. Watching as the boy she looked up to went against everything he taught her. Shy watched as the others slowly started to notice, slowly worked to try and help him, and slowly realized that he just continued to kill himself. Finally, when Shy could no longer bear to see him in pain she approached him. Softly she whispered the words he had once said to anyone who doubted him. "Believe it."

Shy knew that if these words did not help Sun was beyond saving and that day she swore to herself that she would catch that Raven for daring to steal her Sun. She was not the only one who would make that swear, as later that day Sun entered a coma – his injures to great, even for his prisoner to heal.


End file.
